Deep Purple is an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968 and one of the founding bands of hard rock and heavy metal, alongside Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. The classic Mark II line-up with Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Jon Lord, Roger Glover and Ian Paice recorded Deep Purple in Rock and Machine Head.
Machine Head produced Smoke on the Water, whose guitar riff is one of the most famous in rock history, and the live album Made in Japan became a landmark concert recording. The current line-up includes Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, Don Airey and Simon McBride.
